Society

Star Pianist’s Bold Play and Bolder Outfits Leave Everyone Talking at Houston Symphony Opener: $750,000 Night is a Fiery Affair

BY // 09.11.18
photography Jenny Antill Clifton, Daniel Ortiz

Oh, the chatter that followed the Houston Symphony‘s opening night concert! If it hadn’t been for Yuja Wang‘s unmatched velocity at the keyboard, the world-renowned pianist might have been remembered more for her rhapsodic fashion statements than her musical dexterity.

But as the black-tie set streamed into the Corinthian Houston for a post-concert fête, the symphony’s rousing performance and Wang’s unimaginable talent trumped the shimmering, fiery red gown that she wore on the Jones Hall stage. But that was before the plucky Chinese native arrived for dinner in an entirely different ensemble.

Her selection, a sparkling deep blue mini with partially bare midriff and crossbody straps worn with towering stilettos, set the stage for more twaddling, to which she was completely immune.

“I don’t have anything to say, really,” she demurred when asked about her penchant for the bold and the brave in fashion. “I like looking good. I love heels. I love a concert dress that matches the piece I’m playing.”

Allowing that her costumes are made by a friend in Toronto, the 31-year-old added, “I thought in Houston I just wanted to be sparkly. I love Chanel and Dior, like, more classy. I think the biggest key is to feel confident and comfortable, especially comfortable for playing and also confident.”

In all, Wang’s remarkable performance and her fashion presence added an unexpected layer to the evening that was already assured of an energized conclusion thanks to the stirring program of Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Barber, and Prokfiev, conducted by dashing Spaniard Gustavo Gimeno.

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It was a night with which gala chairs Donna Josey Chapman and Max Chapman and honorary chairs Daniela and Manolo Sanchéz could be very pleased, particularly with the bottom line that surpassed the $750,000 level. Applause, applause for ConocoPhillips for its 32nd year of sponsoring opening night and its 50th year of supporting the Houston Symphony.

Adding to the emotional and financial vitality of the evening was the playful live auction of a glass of water that went for $5,000 and then the auction of a new Steinway Spirio Model M piano signed by Wang that generated $103,000 for symphony coffers.

We would be amiss if not mentioning the lovely dinner by Jackson and Company, which concluded with a baby grand piano dessert filled with chocolate mousse, and the decor by The Events Company that placed vertical keyboards bursting with red roses on tables throughout the room and hung red crystal chandeliers between the Corinthian columns that grace the vintage building’s interior perimeter.

Musically minded: Anne and Albert Chao, Janet Clark, Jo Dee and Cliff Wright, Margaret Alkek Williams, Regina and John Magnum, Cora Sue and Harry Mach, Joella and Steve Mach,Vicki West and Ralph Burch, Ishwaria and Vivek Subbiah; James Bell; Betty and Jesse Tutor; Gina and Devinder Bhatia; Janet Gurwitch and Ron Franklin, Catherine and Bryan James who chair the 2019 Houston Symphony Wine Dinner and Collectors Auction and  2019 Houston Symphony Ball chairs Courtney and Bill Toomey.

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